Adolf buciiwalder



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ADOLF BUOIIVALDER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOIAIN BISHOP I-IALL, OF SAME PLACE.

lViATTlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,076, dated January 3, 1899.

Application filed October 17, 1898. Serial No. 693,693. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, .it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF BUCHWALDER, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matting, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to matting for iioors and other purposes of that class composed of strips or links of leather or other material strung upon wires or rods and fastened so as to make a permanent yet flexible structure.

The novelty in the present instance resides in the peculiar construction of the links, whereby they may be quickly and easily placed upon the rods and permitting of the removal of any one of the links and its replacement by a new one or another should occasion require without the loosening or removal of the rod. A mat thus constructed is as efficient as the old forms, as the slots are so inclined in opposite directions as to render it almost impossible for the links to become accidentally disengaged from the rods.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a small portion of a matting embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a similar view of one of the strips detached.

Referring to said drawings, A designates the matting, shown as composed of contiguous rows l, 2, 3, and 4, each row being made up of a plurality of narrow strips B, preferably made of leather or analogous material, which may loe fashioned after any desired or ornamental pattern. The strips B are perforated at or near their ends, as shown at 0c, Fig. 2, and are so arranged when grouped together that the perforated ends of the strips I3 in one row will lie contiguous to and between the perforated ends of the strips `of the next succeeding row, the whole being secured against displacement by rods O, which pass through said perforations, as shown. By this construction it will be seen that each row is made up alternately of a plurality of strips B and open spaces B, the group of strips in one row lying in the same horizontal plane as and adjacent the spaces B in the next lsucceeding row.

The rods are preferably formed of wire, bent at their intermediate portions D in order to provide parallel extensions O, which latter through the perforations at one edge of the matting, as shown, while the extremities of said extensions are bent, interlocked, or otherwise fastened at the opposite edge of the matting, as will be obvious. Thus the strips B are firmly held in their proper relative position, while at the same time they are free to rotate upon said rods when the matting is rolled or folded for transportation or other purposes.

In order to facilitate in assembling the strips B and applying thereto the fasteningA rods O', I provide said strips with open slots oo', (shown in Fig. 2,) which extend from one edge thereof into each of the perforatilons at. Thus the strips may be quickly and easily placed upon the rods O, as the pliable or yielda ing nature of the leather will permit said slots to expand to admit the rods, as will be api parent. slots incline in opposite directions toward each other at the outer ends, so that when the links are in position upon the rods they will be securely held against displacement there from.

It is apparent, of course, that the shape or pattern of the strips B maybe changed at will, and it is also obvious that instead of forming each roW of a plurality of strips, as shown, I may substitute therefor solid blocks composed of leather or paper-pulp or the like and afterward subjecting the same to a process of hardening.

It is also obvious that many and varied patterns may be formed in the construction of the matting, and I do not wish to be undern stood as limiting myself to the exact pattern herein shown and described, but reserve the right to alter the same in such manner as may be held to fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, these,

Having thus described my invention, what I each strip to each of said perforations, and I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patrods adapted to said perforations7 whereby ent, is as follows: said strips are held in assembled position. A matting, comprising a plurality of juxta- ADOLF BUCHWALDER. 5 posed strips, said strips being provided With Vitnesses:

perforations and open slots leading in oppo- J. B. HALL,

sitely-inolined directions from one edge of J. A. RENNIE. 

